Reports

This publication contains the Supplementary Phase 2 Peer Review Report for Austria.

Austria has low levels of labour migration from non-EU/EFTA countries. At the same time, intra-EU free mobility has grown significantly and since 2011, overall migration for employment is above the OECD average. It recently reformed its labour migration system, making it more ready to accept labour migrants where they are needed, especially in medium-skilled occupations in which there were limited admission possibilities previously. This publication analyses the reform and the Austrian labour migration management system in international comparison.

Skills are central to Austria’s future prosperity and the well-being of its people. The OECD Skills Strategy Diagnostic Report: Austria identifies 14 skills challenges for Austria. The project and this report build on both the insights from workshops as well as latest international comparative analysis from OECD and national sources. The report provides cases illustrating how other countries have tackled similar challenges, which can be used as input to potential policy options on how to tackle these challenges. The challenges are described under each of the main pillars of the OECD Skills Strategy. The first 11 challenges refer to specific outcomes across the three pillars of developing, activating and using skills. The next three challenges refer to the 'enabling' conditions which strengthen the overall skills system. Success in tackling these skills challenges will boost performance across the whole skills system.

Alors que l'importance de l'économie créative continue de croître, de fortes synergies entre le tourisme et les industries créatives émergent offrant ainsi un potentiel considérable pour amplifier la demande touristique et développer de nouveaux produits, expériences et marchés. Ces nouveaux liens entrainent le passage d’un modèle classique de tourisme culturel vers de nouveaux modèles de tourisme créatif basés sur la culture immatérielle et la création contemporaine. Ce rapport fait des proposition pour l'élaboration de politiques efficaces dans ce domaine, en s’appuyant sur la relation de plus en plus forte entre tourisme et secteurs créatifs. A partir d’études de cas récentes, il étudie également comment renforcer et valoriser ces liens pour générer davantage de valeur ajoutée. Des politiques actives sont nécessaires pour que les pays, les régions et les villes bénéficient au maximum des synergies entre tourisme et créativité. Les principales questions politiques sont analysées.

The International Energy Agency's 2014 review of Austria’s energy policy analyses the energy policy challenges facing Austria and provides sectoral studies and recommendations for further policy improvements. It finds that Austria's energy policy  rests on three pillars – security of supply, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. The country’s decarbonisation drive has strengthened as the economy and renewable energy use have continued to grow, while fossil fuel use has decreased. Notably, Austria has more than tripled the public funding for energy research, development and demonstration since 2007. Greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, which peaked in 2005, still need to be reduced further, and the transport sector offers prime opportunities for this. In the context of EU negotiations on an energy and climate policy framework to 2030, Austria should develop a strategy that also integrates security of supply and internal market dimensions. Closer cross-border integration of both electricity and natural gas markets and systems is required to build a single European market. This calls for increased co-ordination and co-operation with neighbouring countries. Austria should also encourage investment in networks, optimise demand response and integrate variable renewable energy supply in a cost-effective and market-based manner. A well-functioning internal market can help reduce the growing concerns over energy prices and costs, both for industry and for citizens. Austria could address these concerns also by implementing more energy efficiency measures and facilitating greater retail market competition.